The first time David Ware and Robin Anker visited Mexico they were frightened.

Robin flew to Merida to help his sister plan the renovation of her Chuburna house last October.

"It was a very eerie feeling," Robin said. "We got here at the beach at 1 a.m. and I was scared to death driving down. There were no protector bars on the house and it was very primitive. I woke up the next morning and went outside and it was just gorgeous."

David also felt uneasy when he arrived a few days later.

"When I first landed I was terrified," he said.

Within days, the couple's anxiety was replaced with an appreciation for the area and its people, and a desire to purchase property. They eyed a 'se vende' sign on a neglected house nearby. David called his friend, Stephanie Ovington, in Florida to ask if she'd like to join him and Robin in a partnership to own a place in Mexico.

"I was at a point in my life that I figured why not," Stephanie said. "I was financially secure and could help them out and they could help me out. They wanted it for me to get away from work. My life is my work, pretty much. I also have a great admiration for Mexican people. I've always lived in areas with Hispanic people."

Stephanie is an auditor for the federal government in the banking industry who also felt tense on her first trip to the Yucatan.

"The first time I came I was terrified. We were stopped by the police and the federales, and it was a little bit more rustic that I thought."

The beachfront property the friends wanted was tied up in a court case that would delay an immediate sale. But they were determined to find something else and began looking at land to build on and houses to renovate.

Robin made five more trips to the area to look at property. David was able to join him on four of the flights until everyone decided on a small home to renovate next door to Robin's sister.

Demolition started this week to add square footage to the first floor, and construct a second story, pool, outdoor kitchen and other improvements. Eventually, a two-unit bed and breakfast will be built.

Robin's passions are decorating and cooking. He designed the home with a vision towards "casual elegance."

He wants the bed and breakfast to offer a five-star American experience for guests.

"I want it to be done with clean lines and fine linens. We will offer a really smart breakfast, good coffee and provide an intimate area for our guests. I want it to be very nicely appointed. Some place people can enjoy and feel pampered."

Both men are hairdressers. David, who has been in the business 30 years, works in Tampa Bay, Fla. where he and Robin own a house. Robin flies to Des Moines, Iowa from his 43-acre farm in Indiana to work eight days a month with customers he has maintained for decades.

"In 2002, I was going to move to Indiana and my clients were distraught. I took a poll and asked them if I came back once a month if they would come to me. During that eight days, I do an average of 100 clients, haircuts, color and perms," he said. "It's a killer week with 12-15 hour days."

David, 48, and Robin, 52, maintain their relationship by meeting in Florida, Indiana and Iowa. Once construction is done in Chuburna, they can also rendezvous in Mexico. They have been together nine years. 

Stephanie, 52, said she will likely visit the Yucatan four or five times a year. She travels extensively in her work, and as a child of an Air Force colonel, the family moved often. She won't live full time in Mexico when she retires in eight years.

"I don't like to be any place any length of time," she said. "I'll come down as a get-away and a retreat. Living here is not any great passion for me."

Robin said he could be here permanently in five years. David will always maintain a place in the U.S. but can see himself residing in Chuburna most of the year.

"I think what I love about it here is that it reminds me of a simpler life. It reminds me of stepping back in time to the second grade in Phoenix. To me it's the total flip side of my life back home in Florida. There's no air conditioning, cable, DVRs, schedules," David said.

"I also feel safer here than in Tampa Bay. I've only seen one act of aggression ‑ a mother and daughter pulling hair. I've never seen a child act up. The kids here behave the way we use to, not the way they do now, throwing a hissy fit if they don't get what they want."

David has a 26-year-old daughter and three grandchildren. He enjoys the outdoors, gardening, swimming and scuba diving. He is a certified scuba diver who was taught by his mother. He sings in the choir at his church where he devotes a lot of time to church activities, saying that is his common bond with Stephanie, whom he met three years ago.

"My faith is probably my greatest passion in life. It gives me lots of comfort."

Robin said has finally realized a dream of having a place near the ocean. He no longer fears life in Mexico.

"I haven't met anyone who has been mean," he said. "I also really enjoy the gringos here. There are people from all over the country and Canada and everyone wants to be happy and enjoy life. It's a way to slow down in life, enjoy people's company and get away from the rat race."

 

 

 

Tags: Expat Profiles

Bookmark: